Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Trump in Scotland : A Study of Power-Topologies and Golf Topographies

Jönsson, Erik LU (2016) In International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 40(3). p.559-577
Abstract

During the last decade Trump International Golf Links Scotland (TIGLS) has built on land where no development was previously outlined and, appropriating parts of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, has come to occupy an important place in debates on Scottish planning policy. Though plans were initially rejected in 2007 by the Aberdeenshire planning body responsible, the Scottish Government subsequently rescaled the decision—instead approving the proposed high-end, large-scale golf resort. Besides numerous clashes with those living close to TIGLS, this has since led to highly visible protests. In this article I scrutinize TIGLS's establishment to explore the entanglements of topological and topographic understandings of space, and to... (More)

During the last decade Trump International Golf Links Scotland (TIGLS) has built on land where no development was previously outlined and, appropriating parts of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, has come to occupy an important place in debates on Scottish planning policy. Though plans were initially rejected in 2007 by the Aberdeenshire planning body responsible, the Scottish Government subsequently rescaled the decision—instead approving the proposed high-end, large-scale golf resort. Besides numerous clashes with those living close to TIGLS, this has since led to highly visible protests. In this article I scrutinize TIGLS's establishment to explore the entanglements of topological and topographic understandings of space, and to illuminate power exerted through various modalities by various private and public actors. Based on interviews with politicians, activists, planners, residents and business representatives and an analysis of planning documents, developer–state communications, and marketing material, I argue that work on power-topologies and relational geographies has much to offer. But, crucially, this work simultaneously risks underplaying the role material landscapes play in conflicts over planning policy and the power exerted to dominate such landscapes. Thus, emphasizing topology proves insufficient unless coupled with a focus on the power involved in appropriating and reshaping material topographies.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Donald Trump, political ecology, power, rural planning, Scotland, topography, topology, Tourism
in
International Journal of Urban and Regional Research
volume
40
issue
3
pages
19 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85004154219
  • wos:000398158800005
ISSN
0309-1317
DOI
10.1111/1468-2427.12391
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
32547711-7a77-4753-bbca-8e7e9a5eacfc
date added to LUP
2017-02-24 12:36:27
date last changed
2024-04-14 05:52:22
@article{32547711-7a77-4753-bbca-8e7e9a5eacfc,
  abstract     = {{<p>During the last decade Trump International Golf Links Scotland (TIGLS) has built on land where no development was previously outlined and, appropriating parts of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, has come to occupy an important place in debates on Scottish planning policy. Though plans were initially rejected in 2007 by the Aberdeenshire planning body responsible, the Scottish Government subsequently rescaled the decision—instead approving the proposed high-end, large-scale golf resort. Besides numerous clashes with those living close to TIGLS, this has since led to highly visible protests. In this article I scrutinize TIGLS's establishment to explore the entanglements of topological and topographic understandings of space, and to illuminate power exerted through various modalities by various private and public actors. Based on interviews with politicians, activists, planners, residents and business representatives and an analysis of planning documents, developer–state communications, and marketing material, I argue that work on power-topologies and relational geographies has much to offer. But, crucially, this work simultaneously risks underplaying the role material landscapes play in conflicts over planning policy and the power exerted to dominate such landscapes. Thus, emphasizing topology proves insufficient unless coupled with a focus on the power involved in appropriating and reshaping material topographies.</p>}},
  author       = {{Jönsson, Erik}},
  issn         = {{0309-1317}},
  keywords     = {{Donald Trump; political ecology; power; rural planning; Scotland; topography; topology; Tourism}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{559--577}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Urban and Regional Research}},
  title        = {{Trump in Scotland : A Study of Power-Topologies and Golf Topographies}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.12391}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/1468-2427.12391}},
  volume       = {{40}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}